


Scary But Good

by fangirlwithtea



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 07:10:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20372755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlwithtea/pseuds/fangirlwithtea
Summary: This will be a series of one-shots between the characters in the book that take place right after the book ends. However some chapters might go back to the past (I'll let you know in a note above the chapter.) Ari is starting to grow into himself. He's finally opening his eyes to the vast universe with Dante by his side without feeling so afraid.





	Scary But Good

Chapter One: Boyfriends?

“Is that my jacket?”

He tried making his most dubious face when I asked. Dante was good at persuading. Enough that I don’t bother fighting him on things. He doesn’t like admitting to it, but he loved winning arguments. He once called it being a wordsmith or master in rhetoric. He always just shrugs it off in the end. “I got from my dad,” he’d say. But he couldn’t hide that smile of victory.  
But I wasn’t backing down today. I knew that was my missing jacket. I’ve had it for over three years. A dude would know if he saw his own damn jacket. I remember my mother giving it to me a couple sizes too big. “A growing boy like yourself will grow into it,” she’d say. I remember rolling my eyes and saying something like “this is a man’s jacket mom, I’ll always be stuck being a boy.” She gave me that look that said I was just being a teenager. A look that said, “I’ll grow out of it.” But she laid the jacket on my bed and say “you’ll always have your boyhood, but you can’t avoid becoming a man.” 

I didn’t really appreciate the gift. Thinking about it made me want to punch my younger self. It’s my favorite jacket now that it fits me well enough. But did that mean I was finally a man? 

I misplaced it about a week ago. Figured it would just turn up around my house. But I’m starting to think that I left it in Dante’s room this whole time. Something about that made me feel embarrassed. I have been coming over to Dante’s house more than ever before. His parents never minded. Hell, they insisted I come over more. I wasn't gonna lie and say I didn’t love being here. But the excitement I felt whenever Dante invited me over with his bright eyes, almost begging me to say yes. It was hard to resist. Afternoons became homework time in his room, Afternoons became me watching him draw. Afternoons became us lying in bed talking about school, life, our parents, and the universe. Afternoons became us holding hands as we listened to the rain against his big window. Afternoons became Dante kissing me. And me backing him back. 

Dante stood in front of me raising his brow. He fixed the collar of his—no, scratch that, my jacket—while he threw me his counter.  
“Ari, you know we have similar jackets. This is definitely mine.”

I wasn’t mad or anything seeing it on him. Part of me kinda liked that he had it this whole time. I was even jealous that although it was bigger on him, he seemed to wear it with more purpose than I ever could.

“You probably misplaced it in your room. I mean hell Ari, just cause it’s similar doesn’t mean-

“Show me the inside.”

“I’m telling you it’s my jacket. I’m not my fault you lost yours.”

That cheeky bastard.

“Okay. I’ll apologize and buy dinner today. Just prove me wrong.”

I was already planning on buying tonight but whatever. I wasn’t letting this one go. I knew damn well it was my jacket. Though on the outside we had pretty identical jackets, mine had a unique gray lining with a red stripe. A definitive way to set them apart. Plus mine was a couple inches bigger across the shoulders. In retrospect, it didn’t matter all that much. But I wanted to win this one and make a point that he had a habit of “borrowing” my clothes.

First, it was my Los Lobos shirt that he liked wearing whenever we came back from swimming to my house. Then, it was my washed-out school hoodie that he decided to wear whenever he felt cold. I guess my sneakers were safe for obvious reasons. 

Dante rolled his eyes and sighed. I felt more and more confident seeing the edge of his lips struggling to hold back a smile. 

“YOU were the one that left it in my room last week. I thought it was mine at first.”

“Unbelievable. Actually no. It’s believable. You’ve been eying my jacket since day one.”

“ I WAS gonna give it back. I promise!”

“Sure wise guy. Let me wear it for tonight.”

“Wear mine.” 

“Yours is kinda snug.”

“Only cause you decided to get jacked over the summer,” he said rolling his eyes and brushing back the front his dark hair. 

I tried pretending that his comment didn’t make me blush. “Shut up I’m not jacked.” IEven though I started lifting my dad’s weights to deal with frustrations, but I still found myself making it a habit to go down to the basement to lift. It was the achy feeling that I liked. Naturally, my arms have grown a bit from it but I still found it embarrassing when others make comments. Even Gina loved teasing me about it. But Dante’s impulse and weird fondness of them always had a way of making me feel self-conscious.

“Okay fine you want me to say it, Ari?”

I only raised my brow and stayed silent waiting for him to continue. 

“Cause I’ll say it.”

“Go on.” 

It was never Dante’s style to struggle to say things or even looking embarrassed while trying to say then. Right at that moment, I felt bad about putting him on the spot. 

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s silly. I want to say it.”

“Okay.”

“Wearing your jacket… it just makes me feel like I’m really your boyfriend.”

The word boyfriend found itself echoing in my head. We never really quite voiced the topic. It felt like an unspoken truth between us. Like a mutual understanding. A truth that sounded out whenever we gazed for fraction longer. Whenever our hands lingered over each other. Whenever we sat inside my truck and we’d let our lips meet in the dark. All of our private moments. Moments we keep to ourselves. And yet never have we just said it. Simple words that had an unnecessary weight. 

Dante still looked embarrassed but let out a soft laugh. He grabbed the sides of the jacket to make the motion of removing it off his shoulders. But before the jacket slid off his arms, I grabbed it to pull it back onto his frame. He kept his gaze on mine as I adjusted the collar back into place. My fingertips slid across the sides of his neck sending a wave of goosebumps making me shiver. The gap between us wasn’t much that I felt his breath hit me and his scent surrounded me. 

“Wear it,” I whispered. “It looks better on you.”

The amount of times I’ve seen him smile feels countless. But I couldn’t get tired of it. It was too infectious. I also appreciate that he made the moves that I was too hesitant to make. He leaned towards me to close the gap between us. Every kiss between us felt the same and yet different. The softness of his lips. The tickle of his nose against mine. But his hands though would always catch me by surprise. Sometimes he’d play with my fingers as we kissed. Other times he’d rest them on my shoulder. Even once in awhile he'll caress the sides of my face and hair. I wasn’t disappointed by any of it. If anything I enjoyed how each kiss made me feel. What new sensations it brought.

Today was different.

He decided to lay his hands right on my chest. I felt my heart quicken which I’m sure he felt. As explorative as I’d like to be, I tend to let my hands fall on his hips out of reflex. His cheeks and nose were tinted red as he smiled. His eyes with a hint of mischief. 

“I think I look good in it too.”


End file.
